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When Indore deputy inspector general Harinarayanchari Mishra’s phone rang on Tuesday afternoon, he probably picked it up in the expectation of hearing from a friend or a workplace colleague.

But the voice was that of a teenager, and the words it formed sent a shiver up the police officer’s spine. “Sir, I am stuck playing the Blue Whale challenge,” it said. “I am depressed, and I’m afraid I will do something really bad soon. Please help me.”

The caller was a 17-year-old boy from Vishakhapatanam, and he sounded desperate. Mishra immediately dropped everything he was working on, and began convincing the boy to discontinue playing the deadly Internet game.

The survivor had acquired Mishra’s number from the Sanjeevani Foundation website run by the Indore police. “The boy was clearly distressed, and in urgent need of counseling. I talked to him for over half an hour on Tuesday,” the officer said.

Indore, like the rest of the country, has seen its share of participants in the Blue Whale challenge. Recently, police had managed to rescue two teenagers from the brink of committing suicide as part of its final task. Mishra decided to call one of them, a student of Chameli Devi School, to better understand the psychology that spurs such games.

Then, armed with his newfound knowledge, the officer called the teenager’s number again on Wednesday. He spoke to the boy and his parents about the evils of the game for over an hour before he was finally convinced that the threat had passed. “The boy promised he will not play the game anymore. I am happy that I was able to do something positive,” said Mishra.

The Blue Whale challenge involves performing a series of destructive tasks such as inflicting injuries on oneself and standing on the edge of buildings. The final one involves committing suicide.